Run Away
by dragonvein
Summary: It is a story with the Maximum Ride Characters but they don't have wings. Each one is on the run from something and trying to survive as a small group. co-written with Serenity
1. Chapter 1

A white flash blinded her eyes as stepfather slammed her against the wall once again. Her ears began to ring, blocking out his angered words. She kept thinking, what she could have done this time to get her in so much trouble. Although it did not take much to set him, off any more.

Since the death of her mother five years ago, she watched her stepfather slowly sink into depression. He was always moody, she never knew when he would blow up or when he would let her catch a glimpse of the man he use to be. Sometimes he would sit in the darken room and stare into the past. Watching him die inside was hard on her. At one time, she had called him her father, the only father she had ever known. He was the only man in her life that really cared for her. She used to love this man and he loved her. That was why she stayed. Then, adding the alcohol, he became a stranger she started to hate. Now it only took a broken glass to be reason enough to beat her. A change in the tone of her voice was a reason for him to lock her inside a closet for the night. A friend calling on the telephone was a reason to beat her with his belt until she bleed.

Her father yanked her away from the wall by pulling on her hair only to toss her down the short flight of steps. She felt her shoulder pop out of the joint and cried out as the white-hot pain scorched down her arm and back.

"I had enough of you!" He was shouting and she slowly picked herself up to pull herself across the floor, trying to escape him. Her left arm was now useless and she could taste the blood from the blows to her mouth. "I'll teach you."

Teach her what, she was not sure. What she was sure of; if she did not leave, he would kill her. Her mother always told her that an angel was looking down upon her, something she stopped believing in when her mother passed away. Tonight though, she wondered if, just maybe, her mother was right. Her stepfather started towards her but in his drunken rage, missed a step and fell to the bottom to land near her. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Watching him grasping the walls of the stairs, trying to cling to something, his head hitting the end of the telephone stand before his face finally hit the hard wooden floor. She gasps in surprise but this was her chance. Max struggled to her feet shakily and made for the door. She only looked back at her stepfather once and large part of her wanted to check to make sure he was okay, but this may be her only change of escaping. She paused on spotting his wallet on a small table beside the door and with a deep breath; she reached out and grabbed it and her jacket before heading out the door.

Max was in poor condition and traveling public transportation would be difficult with out people questioning a fifteen-year-old girl, bloodied and bruised. Hitchhiking would also be risky for the same reason and all she need was to land in the passenger seat of some pedophiler.

She walked to the nearest gas station and fixed herself up as best as she could in the restroom. That was when luck chanced her once again. A woman in her late forties walked into the rest room while Max was rubbing off the caked blood that had streamed from her nose.

"Child!" The bleached blonde gasp.

"I'm okay. I fell." Max hurried to explained, quickly throwing her paper towels away.

"You fell." The lady shook her head and put her hands on her hips. "Well honey, let me tell you I've seen a lot of girls fall and when they stand back up, never looked like you do now."

"I'm fine." Max said more forceful, her eyes glaring.

"I may not look like it but I've seen girls in your position. Let me guess, a parent did this to you? Right. A relative. Mom's boyfriend. It's all the same. They beat you over and over again. You're a local girl and tonight you are breaking free."

"It's none of your business!" Max hissed.

"No, it's not but I can still help you." The lady smiled and turned to get more paper towels. "Here let me help you clean yourself off."

Max wanted to jerk away but there was just something about this lady.

"Now, sugar. You listen to me. It was a long time ago, but I too was once in your shoes. People will tell you to go back home and they'll tell you to talk to all the right people but darlin' sometimes all that doesn't work." The woman went on. "I have done it all. I was stuck in foster care programs and I ran into the same temperamental people I tried to get away from. It is not always that way with everyone. I have seen some wonderful children go into great homes. It didn't happen to me."

Max sighed, she had thought about the same thing. She heard this story once before from other children at a local orphanage her school would help out every Christmas.

"As an adult I'll tell you to go back and speak to the police. As a person that has been in your shoes, I will tell you that my husband would never know if a girl snuck in the back of the black covered ford pick-up parked just outside this door. We are only passing through, headed to the mid-states and we stop four times day at places just like this. We sometimes drive all night, sometimes we stop by a hotel. You can pick where you went off and we would never know it. But you stay true to yourself, honey. If you look carefully, you'll find the right people willing to lend a helping hand." The lady smiled and looked at Max. "You are a pretty girl, be careful now matter what you decide."

With that, the lady disappeared. Max waited a moment and peeked opened the door and as the lady had said, a black ford pick up with covered tarp was parked near the restroom. The license plates were out of state. Max took a deep breath before leaving the rest room. She looked around carefully and as quietly as she could she pulled the hatch down and slipped inside, pulling the gate shut, she slid as far as she could into the dark undercover.

Max guessed it was three days since she had slinked into the back of that pick-up truck. Whenever it would stop, she would get out, stretch her legs, use the rest room and always come back to find some kind of food and drink stored in the back of the ford for her. She was sure people were searching for her and having the authorities find her, was something she did not want to chance. When the pick-up truck pulled up at a hotel, Max finally left her safe, hold and wondered into the quiet streets. The bruise from the days before heeled up and were only faint marks which was covered up with make-up her blonde guarding angel gave to her. As for her shoulder, she jolted it back by slamming it against a bathroom wall on the second day. It was something she never wanted to do again. There was still a dull ache that seemed to linger around her shoulder, but it was a manageable pain.


	2. Chapter 2

A light mist began to lay heavy against the jacket that Max remembered to take before leaving her home. She has been gone from home for five days, two days since she left the pick-up. The back of the truck was not very pleasant but it did provide her from the weather, even though it was a bit sticky and humid under the tarp. It was also, where she was able to eat since the owners of the truck would stash some of their food in the back, partly because they knew they had a stowaway. Max did not want them to get into trouble. If anyone was looking for her, she thought it would be better to split from her saviors before someone found her hiding in the back of the truck.

That was two days ago, though. It seemed longer to Max as she wondered aimlessly about streets. She had been walking for two days, barely finding any rest between the short distances between towns. Max kept reading signs of town's welcome, trying to get an idea of where she was but with out a map, she was lost. She was also weak with out having any food. She thought about purchasing some small items but she did not want to risk of being identified at the stores if she was too close to home.

She finally lifted her head up, batting her eye lashes against the misty rain and spotting a neon sign from a small-convinced store and took a deep breath before walking towards it. She had to have something to eat and drink, she was sure the water from the streams was polluted.

She checked her watch to make sure it was not too late to have a clerk wonder why she was not tucked in bed somewhere. The glimpse of the watch indicated seven o'clock so she straighten herself up as best she could, ran a wet sleeve over her face in case of dirt and fingered her hair to give her some kind of kept appearance before she opened the door to the store.

On stealing her stepfather's wallet, Max knew she could really buy anything she wanted in the store. He had kept five hundred cash in his wallet and she had his credit card. The credit card may be a problem since it could be traced leaving him to find her.

She was careful at selecting items, knowing she could not store cold items or items that would mold fast. She found a small pot that would be perfect to cook in, a small backpack to carry the items in, a can opener, seasoning, and of course can goods as well as some personal care items.

She was about to go to the cashier when she notice three kids walking into the store. Two short children and one tall, who wore sunglasses.

"Hey." The clerk smiled at the group. "I was wondering when you three would be back."

"Hey Dave." The tall boy smiled. "You busy?"

"No, I have one customer and she's taken her time. Let's see your list." The clerk took a small piece of paper, which was tucked in a square from the boy. "I'll have this stuff ready for you in a moment. Angel and Gazzy, your mother wanted a gallon of milk - the store's brand. Do you think you two could manage that?"

The little boy saluted the clerk with a smile and took the little girls hand and wondered off to the dairy selection of the store. "Did mom want ice cream?" The boy called out.

"Not on her list." The clerk yelled while walking in a different direction and leaving the older boy at the front of the store.

"Are you sure?" The boy called out again.

"Yep."

"Could you check again, please?"

"It's not on her list, little dude." Dave yelled out. "You'll need to take it up with her."

Max walked down closer to the children and noticed the little girl and boy stuffing their pockets with food items, anything they could get into their coats and pants. Since their clothing were large on them, the stolen food held no bulges.

"Hey Iggy, I need to run into the back of the store for an item on your list." Dave yelled out.

"Sorry, to put you out." Iggy yelled back.

"Not a problem…" Dave's voice was distant.

Angel looked up and caught sight of Max. "Ugh,…" she pulled on the other child's coat. The boy looked up with startling blue eyes.

"Um…hi." Gazzy gave Max a smile as he took notice of her appearance.

"We better go, Gazzy." Angel pulled her brother's jacket again.

"Nah, she isn't going to tell, are you?" Gazzy smiled at Max.

"How do you know?" Max quirked up her eyebrows.

"For starters, you would have yelled by now." Gazzy kept his charming smile planted on his face, "And you are just like us."

"Just like you," Max titled her head slightly, "And how am I just like you? I'm paying for my items."

"For now, maybe." Gazzy stared tensely but kept his voice down low. "But give another month or two, if you make it that long and you will be filling your stomach up with stolen goods too."

"She's a runaway?" Angel eyes grew. "Can we take her home?"

"No." Gazzy shook his head. "She's isn't like Total. You cannot start bringing stray people home. Iggy and Fang will get mad."

"But she needs help." Angel eyes grew large and teary. "You said it too, she's just like us."

Gazzy sighed and looked up at Max. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"I'm not staying with you two. I doubt I can fit in the same cardboard box." Max huffed.

"Boy, you're loads of laughs." Gazzy rolled his eyes, so similar to his sisters. "We upgraded since. We live in a real place."

"No. I'm not moving in with some strange adults that take kids off the street." Max shook her head but grew worried for the two small children. There are a lot of sicko's was out there? Did these two small children live with one?

"We don't live with adults." Gazzy sighed and shook his head as though Max had said the most unintelligent thing. "Listen, right now you are ruining our racket. You purchase your stuff and wait for us outside. We have to talk to Iggy anyhow before we can bring you home."

"Yes!" Angel jumped up and down.

"Wait, who said I wanted to come home with you?" Max held up her hand, which was difficult with the items she carried.

"Where else do you have to go?" Gassy asked, that sly smile appearing on his face again. He knew too much for someone so young.

* * *

Max waited outside of the store for the small group. She made sure she was out of sight from the cashier when finally the trio emerged from the store. As soon as they were outside, Angel and Gazzy began to talk to the taller boy. Max was somewhat down hearted when the boy started to shake his head repeatedly before the children could finish their story. Finally, somehow they were able to get to the taller boy to break and the group walked over to where Max stood.

"This is Iggy." Angel told Max, "And this is…."

"Max." She held out her hand to shake the older boy's.

"I told you she's weird." Gazzy looked up at the taller boy, "She wants to shake your hand. Left hand."

Iggy frowned but put out his left hand and quickly shook the girl's hands. "So who are you running from?"

"What's it too you?" Max all but growled.

"I don't need to know your story, not completely but I'm not taking you back until I know who you are running from." Iggy said sternly. He was not bringing back someone running from the law, there was no reason to cast attention to him or the others and that was something to avoid all together.

"My stepfather." Max huffed.

"Stepfather.' Iggy nodded his head. "You haven't been on your own too long, you smell too clean for that."

"Iggy, that's rude!" Angel giggled.

"We have a ways to walk, so come on." Iggy told the group. He produced two umbrellas.

"I get to hold the umbrella this time." Angel took one from Iggy's hand.

"No, it's my turn Angel!" Gazzy yelled, trying to take it back from his sister.

"Hey." Iggy yelled. "Angel you held it coming up so let Gazzy hold it how."

"Fine." Angel pouted and Gazzy stuck out his tongue.

"Ig he…" Angel started.

"Save it." Iggy cut her off. "I'd advice you two to think of what you are going to say to Nudge and Fang about your new pet."

"Aw man." Gazzy kicked at a loose rock. "Couldn't you…"

"Nope. Won't do it." Iggy shook his head.

"Fine. Come on, Angel." Gazzy took her hand as they walked across the street.

"Coming?" Iggy carefully made his way. "I'll share the umbrella with you, unless you don't mind being wet."

"I'm already wet." Max grumbled but slip next to Iggy.

He slipped his arm around the elbow of her own and Max pulled away. "Hey!"

"What?" Iggy looked her way but not directly at her.

"Oh." It finally hit Max, "You can't see."

"Geeze, I thought we all lived in a world of darkness." Iggy held out his hand. "People around here know I can't see. It would look better if they thought you were guiding me. If anyone asks, you're a cousin that moved in to help mom."

Max allowed him to place his hand back on her arm. "The little boy…"

"Gazzy. You'll learn why later." Iggy explained. "Or just put it together and you'll remember to keep a distance."

"Gazzy said there were no adults living with you." Max continued.

"And there isn't. _Mother_ is non-existing. It has been this way for a while. Either the people in this town do not want to admit that there are children living alone or they just take the story as it is told. The story goes as our _father_ leaving us when Angel was a baby. She does not remember him and Gazzy really does not remember him either. He left us for another woman which is way Fang - you will meet him later, does not like to talk about him. I also have some kind of resentment for the man so people do not dig into that too much. Now Nudge, people in this small town believes her to be our _cousin_. We had to really think of a way to bring her into our _family_. Therefore, we invented a story about an _aunt _who is wild and loose having a child from a one-night stand and the production of that one nightstand is Nudge. _Auntie_ did not want to be burden down with a child so _Mother_, who already has her hands full, took on one more. _Mother_ is a wonderful woman. With all of us kids to feed and a daddy who went astray, _Mother_ works two jobs and asks us to run a few errands for her. No one questions it."

"So what happen in the store…?" Max looked up at the tall boy.

"A set up which was invented by Fang. Being blind has very little advantages but I use what I can when I can. Mother gives me a shopping list and the two little ones come along to help. They would just pick out anything so the cashiers are always willing to help; we make sure we get store brand items. Fang will scope out the store earlier, just picking up an item or two and noticing anything that we could use but isn't on the shelf. That way, the clerks go to the storage rooms to dig out the products and give the minions amble time to use their five-finger discount. One of them will keep asking the clerk questions so I can keep an idea where the cashier, usually Dave, is at."

"So the ice cream…"

"Gazzy's way of keeping track of the clerk. I ask Dave if he is busy, he tells me how many customers we need to keep track of. If it is too many, I come back later in the day. We purchase some of the stuff to make it look good. For the most part, we steal it. It's not something we are proud of but it is something we need to do to survive. Sometimes I think Dave must be as blind as I am while other times, I think he knows but he just…maybe there are some people who help how they can help. Turning his back for a few minutes maybe how Dave helps out."

"How do you get the money?" Max asked.

"Nudge does some cleaning after school and she receives a little bit of money. We do not steal from people who pay us. That would be stupid. Fang mostly gets the money for us by doing small miscellaneous items and he has picked up gambling. He's good and usually wins a good amount of money." Iggy went one. "We do go to school, to make everything look good and it's important that we avoid trouble so teachers don't request a meeting with a non-existing parent."

"But school records…"

"Forged. Before arriving here, we found a few people who could provide us with different social numbers, birth records, and school records as well as a medical card. It's amazing what you can find in hidden streets." Iggy smiled sadly. "I'm sure in most cases all of this stuff we required has a blacker reason but for us, I assure you it is to better the life we once lived through."

"Did you all meet at once?" Max asked, "I'm sorry. I'm asking too many questions, forgive me…"

"Nah, it's alright. I bet it's been awhile since you could talk to someone." Iggy tapped her arm. "We should be making a left through a wooded path. Just telling you so you do not freeze up. We live in an abandon cabin, which had an owner's deed inside. With some help from the wrong sort of people, it is ours now. It is a nice place to live and I think people forgot it is even here. We fixed it up pretty nice."

"Like Snow white and the seven dwarfs." Max amused.

"Yeah but I think you calling us dwarfs will get you kicked out." Iggy laughed. "Back to your question, no we didn't meet all at once and I'm not telling you everyone's story. If they want to tell you, they will. However, I can tell you mine. I was not born blind; I was in an auto accident that caused me to loose my sight. My parents never made it out of the car alive. I was just a little younger then Angel so I do not remember too much. They were fighting before the accident. It started as an intense argument and maybe it remand that way or maybe it is something I want to believe, but the argument turned playful and they were laughing. I remember smiling even though I did not know what they were going on about but they were happy and so was I. Then Mom screamed out Dad's name and I could see, just between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat two headlights coming straight at the car. I do not know if it was dad's fault or the other driver. I remember the sound of metal on top of metal as they crushed together. People were screaming, someone yelled gas and I was pulled roughly out of my booster seat. I told the person that pulled me that my head was hurting, that I could not see and that I wanted my parents. Then I heard a loud explosion and the sound of sizzling fire."

"Sorry." Max squeezed his arm.

Iggy nodded his head. "The last thing I will ever remember seeing is those two head lights. Life is cruel."

Iggy paused for a moment, swallowing hard before he continued, " I was shifted to foster home to foster home. I have to admit, my time in those homes are not bad. I was treated well but I was a special case. My foster homes were especially looked into because of my blindness and still needing medical treatment. I hated feeling stupid though and every home I went too, they made me feel that way. Not on purpose, I know they really wanted to help me but…I could not breathe so I left. Was not smart on my part. Blind kids do not make good runways. I would have died if it were not for Fang and Nudge finding me. After me came those two squirts and a dog name Total. It was because of Gazzy and Angel that made us look for a better place then an abandon warehouse. So that is how I got to where I am today."


	3. Chapter 3

The cabin came into sight after a mile and half hike through the wooded area. It was a small cabin with a deck sitting high above the ground. A porch in the front of the house held pots of flowers arranging in different colors, which brighten the dark wood of the cabin. Light from inside the cabin invited a warmth feeling and just by standing outdoors, Max knew this was where she would remain.

She stepped through the door and into a small living space when a small, rough coated terrier came bouncing towards her with his teeth snapping. Max stood close to the door as the dog growled, snarled and showed it is fangs to the intruder.

"Total, down." Angel pointed to the floor but the dog still did not obey.

"Just growl at him." Gazzy sighed.

"Huh?" Max looked at the little boy.

"The dog's a chicken." Gazzy explain. "Give him a good growl and he won't be throwing a hissy fight. He just doesn't like new people."

Max looked skeptic as Angel nodded her head. "Go on, growl."

"Grrr.." Max bent low and did a pathetic growl that caused Total to sit and tilt his head.

"That probably didn't scare him, did it?" Iggy asked from behind Max.

"Nope." Gazzy sighed shaken his head. "But he sat."

"Hey your back!" A young girl came out from a room on the left side of the cabin. "Um."

"Shhh…" Angel covered her lips. "She's a stray."

"You can't be serious?" Nudge looked at Max then at Angel. "People aren't strays. Take her back where you found her."

"No. We vote, remember." Angel crossed her little arms.

"Vote on what?" A dark haired boy came out of the same room Nudge was in.

"If we get to keep her." Angel pointed to Max.

The dark hair boy looked at Max for a moment. "Iggy!"

"What could I do?" Iggy shrugged his shoulders. "She had no where to go."

"This is unbelievable. You bring home a stranger?" Nudge shook her head.

"It feels right and when have I ever been wrong when I get that feeling?" Iggy asked.

"So can we keep her?" Angel beamed at Fang.

"In the kitchen." Fang turned and walked back into the room, which he came out. Nudge lifted her eyebrows and turned to follow him.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." Max shifted in her stance.

"No, it's right." Iggy patted her shoulder. "Just stay here. Don't leave."

"A little family discussion." Gazzy picked up the dog and walked around the corner.

"You won't leave, will ya?" Angel blinked up at Max. "Please, stay."

"I don't know kid." Max frowned. She had no intention on staying at a place that did not want her.

* * *

"What the hell were you three thinking?" Fang fumed as soon as the door shut behind him.

"Shhh…" Iggy quieted him. "She's not death."

"I was thinking that she looked like she needed help." Angel said softly as her fingers found the doll she left on the table before the shopping trip. "Just like I needed help when you found me."

"Yeah, Fang." Gazzy sat down on a table bench. "Did you look at those bruises on her face? Betcha theirs more just hidden."

"We can't keep taken lost kids in guys. We can't save them all." Fang sighed, finding his normal seat. "Look, we have it made. We cannot jeopardize the charades we created. The story will start getting weak and someone will find it unbelievable."

"He's right." Nudge agreed. "We can't keep adding to our story every time someone new comes into our lives."

"So from here on we won't take anyone new. Just her." Iggy told the group. "This is the way I am viewing it. Here we are, sitting in a nice cozy cabin that rest just a little outside of a small town. The closest city has less then fifteen hundred people residing within its county line. We are over a hundred miles from a real major city. The chances of a kid coming here are slim. We probably will not see any more run-aways. If anything, the kids that are in this town will be running away from here. She is supposed to be here. I feel it in my gut."

"He has a point." Nudge sighed, flipping her cup around.

"Whose side are you on?" Fang turned to her.

"No ones. I am on no ones side." Nudge frowned. "I'm just keeping an open mind."

"The bruises Fang." Gazzy looked over at the older boy. "You know how kids get bruises like that. She hasn't been on the streets long either."

"If we take her in now, we could save her from a lot of things." Nudge said, mostly to herself.

Fang turned to look at the girl at his side, his mouth frowning at her words.

"Vote." Iggy slammed down his hands.

"Vote." Gazzy mimicked.

"Vote!" Angel smiled and looked around the table.

"Vote." Nudge nodded and looked over at Fang.

"I'd like it better when you all just did what I said." Fang grumbled. "Who is voting for her to stay?"

Fang watched Iggy hold up his hands, Gazzy followed, Angel who also held up Total's paw and her doll's, and Nudge.

"She stays." Fang sighed. "But she has to earn her keep and we need to add her into our story."

"Already thought of that." Iggy smiled. "Dear Mother, who is so overburden, has been blessed with a caring niece to offer her hand."

"Mother is the best." Gazzy smiled.

"To Mother!" Nudge held up her glass of water.

"We love you Mom!" Iggy held out his empty glass.

"Iggy, it's empty." Gazzy slipped half of his water into Iggy's glass.

"I thought it felt light." Iggy frowned.

"To mommy!" Angel giggled childishly and touched her glass with the others.

"May she remain only in our hearts and minds." Fang tapped his glass with his families.

* * *

Max sat across the small table with Iggy on her left and Fang sitting directly across from her.

"I feel as though I should have a lawyer present." Max wiggled in her chair under the tension.

"I am your acting attorney for today's case." Iggy tapped a pencil on the table.

"Relax; we are just going over some of the rules." Fang explained.

"Rules?" Max chirped.

"Yeah. No eating the sour and cream potato chips, do not use the last of the milk, if the toilet over flows it's your problem." Iggy explained.

"You are bunking in the room with Nudge and Angel. It would be your reasonability to keep the room clean. Non one will clean it for you." Fang started.

"Does this not sound like jail?" Iggy interrupted. "It's important that we keep the place tidy as possible. If someone would visit and see the house totally wrecked then they may send someone. If the house is cleaned, it looks as though some sensible adult is living with us."

"Angel's job is to sweeping and mopping all of the rooms, except the bedrooms. She is also in charge of putting can groceries away in the bottom cupboards. There is not a whole lot that she can do because of her age. Nudge probably could use some help in her chores." Fang went on.

"Yeah, she hates doing laundry." Iggy point in. "She folds and separates clothes, putting them in everyone's rooms. She also inventories all the food and other household goods. If we get low, she makes up the grocery list. She cleans the windows and vacuums and she goes and clean other people's homes once a week."

"What do you two do?" Max eyed them carefully. "It seems she's doing all the work."

"I keep care of all the kitchen stuff, except the inventory. I prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also wipe down the counters, clean the refrigerator, do all dishes." Iggy glared at where he thought Fang would be, "With out a dishwasher."

"We can't afford a dishwasher." Fang threw up his hands. "I've told you that before."

"He cooks." Max pointed to Iggy.

"Best cook around." Fang nodded. "Iggy doesn't go to school. The town folk believes he has home schooled because of his condition. If he went to school, then the teachers would be asking for 'mother' all the time to discuss his development. The school's resources are slim here and no one has any expertise in teaching a blind student. I go over my stuff with him on the weekends."

"I could help with that," Max volunteered. "I'm great in school."

"Gazzy helps me in the kitchen." Iggy went on. "He's my side kick. One day, we will be famous chiefs. He helps out in the garden too."

"Yeah, we have a garden outside between the cabin and that small shed." Fang jerked his head to his right.

"Fang is not allowed in his garden." Iggy stated, "He has a black thumb. Everything is green and growing until he lends a hand then it all wilts."

"Anyways, I try to bring in some money where I can. Because of my age, I cannot get a real job so everything is under the table, which is better for us. I keep the outside neat and during winter I make sure we have enough wood to heat." Fang explained.

"We all clean up after Total." Iggy leaned closer to Max, "But if you take him off the path, no one will notice if you don't."


End file.
